U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren Seeking Co Sponsors for the EV-COMUTE Act

Below is the text of a dear colleague letter circulated by Representative Zoe Lofgren and other initial sponsors of the EV-COMUTE Act to other Members of Congress asking for their support.

Support commuter choice!CoSponsor the EV–COMUTEAct.

Dear Colleague,

Please join us in cosponsoring HR 4645, the bipartisan Electric Vehicle Charging Offers Modern Utility Terminals for Employees (EV-COMUTE) Act, to make federal workplaces more efficient and flexible.

Currently, if Members of Congress and their staff choose to drive an electric vehicle to work at the U.S. Capitol, they have the option to pay a fee to plug in their vehicle so that it will be fully charged and ready to go when they are ready to leave. Your constituents, who work at Federal agencies, cannot do this. Unlike Congress—who approved electric vehicle recharging at the U.S. Capitol complex with strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate—Federal agencies are barred from doing so.

Join us in cosponsoring this simple and straightforward bill to correct this disparity. If Federal agencies choose to provide access for electric-vehicle charging to their employees, they should have the authorization to do so. This bill provides that authorization, as long as the agency provides charging at no cost to the taxpayer.

This bill:

gives agencies flexibility as to whether and how to provide charging, including through outside contractors;

will allow Federal employees more options in how they commute to work;

will provide an example for other employers to take similar steps;

provides a small step towards cleaner air, a healthier planet, reduced reliance on foreign sources of oil, and more personal freedom, and,

does so at no cost to the taxpayer because it does not authorize any new funds as agencies must recover all their costs.

Please join us in this common sense step to improving options for federal employees. For more information, or to join us as a cosponsor, please contact Ben Gutman with Rep. Lofgren at [contact info].